Tender Hopes
by darklight1735
Summary: Is it selfish for your heart to hang on when your minds say to let go.


**Disclaimer, I do not own Fairy Tail. **

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The once exultant form of a young mage shook in fear. Apprehension had swooped down on him and taken every last shred of courage. His smile was long gone, disappearing weeks ago when his world shattered around him. Dark circles outlined his eyes, sleep being a stranger to his body and mind. His stomach had given up the fight of demanding nourishment and remained starving. His muscles had started to weaken from lack of exercise. He was starting to become a hollow shell with only a damaged heart inside.

All because he refused to leave the side of the one he loved that was lying in a hospital bed.

His teeth clenched in anger, and his heart thudded in anticipation. It was a damn accident. Just a small mistake that had done all this. One miscalculation and here they were, one of them stuck in a comatose state and the other pleading for him to wake up.

A salty liquid gathered at the corners of his eyes, threatening to spill over. He blinked back the tears, refusing to let them fall. You didn't cry when someone was alive, you cried when they were gone. He repudiated the notion of the latter. The other couldn't die; he was supposed to be there for him. He reached out a shaking hand a brushed a few strands inky black hair away from the closed eyes of the still mage.

Natsu leaned back in his chair and forced himself to take in a deep breath, even if it was as shaky as he felt. His eyes traveled up and down the wires connected to the ice mage's wrist. A heart monitor beeped from time to time, indicating the slow, almost nonexistent, heart rate of the unconscious man. Worst of all was tube running down Gray's throat into his crumpled lungs, it was the only reason he was still "breathing." Purple, blue, and even black bruises littered the alabaster skin of the raven. Gray's body had become visibly smaller. His previously tone chest was a soft stomach, his arms feeble. He couldn't eat in this state, and the IV drip wasn't enough to sustain his former weight. The ice mage was wasting away into nothingness.

The fire mage took one of Gray's icy cold hands in his own. He ran a tan finger over the pale skin, tracing the contours of the raven's now bony fingers. His heart clenched as he gazed over the freezing hand, the hand that hadn't moved for so long. His mind unwillingly trailed from the unmoving mage to everything everyone had said about whether if the raven would wake up or not.

_Neither Porlyusica nor Wendy's healing has had any effect on him…_

Natsu gave Gray's had a tight squeeze.

_The doctors say they can only wait…_

It just couldn't happen. Gray couldn't leave him this easily. He had to prove everyone wrong, he had to show them he was going to make it. He knew he could, he wouldn't let everyone's doubts come true.

_I don't believe you! Gray has to wake up._

The salty liquid reformed in the corner of his eye.

_Natsu, the way things are going…it'll be a miracle if he'll ever open his eyes again. Even if he does, there's no guarantee he'll ever be like his old self._

The fire mage gave a last reassuring squeeze and placed Gray's hand back on the bed.

_What do you mean he won't be the same?! Gray's Gray, nothing can change that!_

He tried to force his mind to only think about Gray getting better, but memories of Erza, Lucy, and Master kept trailing back into his mind. The voices of his family begging him to understand.

_Please, just listen to us! Gray may not wake up, and even if he does all that's waiting for him is a life of pain and grief. _

His eyes gazed over Gray's face, a dark bruise decorated one of the now shallow cheeks.

_His spine was almost completely destroyed. He'll be paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life._

Natsu ran a finger across Gray's lips.

_ Almost all his ribs are shattered beyond repair. How do you expect him to return to normal when he'll never be able to breath with ease again?_

The fire mage rested his head on Gray's forehead.

_ His right eye can't be fixed, if he can ever see out of it again is a myster-_

_ I don't give a damn! We can get past thi-_

_ What about his mind?! What if his mind never recovers? _

"They're wrong," the dragon slayer whispered against Gray's skin.

_ He can never live independently again. He'll have to be constantly monitored just to make sure his heart is still beating. He wouldn't want that! Gray doesn't want to have anyone worry over him like that._

He ran a hand through Gray's messy hair.

_ He won't even be able to accomplish simple tasks anymore. He will barely be able to move._

Natsu pressed his lips on top of Gray's forehead before pulling away to look at him.

_He can never get thru a day without feeling imbedded pain. What abo-_

_ He's going to be fine! If he needs anything I'll be there for him._

_ Dammit Natsu! Listen to us! Gray lost complete control of his left arm. How is he supposed to use magic if he can only use one hand? He can't be a mage anymore!_

A tear finally slipped over and landed softly on Gray's cold skin.

_Ten years. He's been a mage for ten years and now he never will be again. He'll never cast another spell, form another ice creation, he can't even form an ice cube anymore. There's nothing you can do about that. It doesn't matter if he wakes up. When a mage loses their power they lose apart of themselves along with it. _

Natsu let the tears fall freely now. All the overwhelming emotions he had held in for so long burst forward. Gray lay motionless on the bed, not even feeling the warm drips falling on his skin.

_He's a lost cause, Natsu._

The heart monitor continued its faint beeping, and the IV its dripping. A pale chest rose and feel unevenly, not being able to breath as it should.

_He's…_

"Please," the fire mage choked through his sobs, "just...wake up."

_gone._


End file.
